His Quiet Crisis
by TheFicGoblin
Summary: Marco's been off. He's trying real hard to seem normal, trying real hard to look childish. Most people are taking it at face value, but Janna prides herself on noticing things about Marco. And she's gonna get to the bottom of this whole mess. Takes place after Running with Scissors!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! This is meant to take place after Running with Scissors. I always thought it was so weird they had Marco literally live through years and years of his life and then never mention it again, like what? Review if you like!**

* * *

Something wasn't right. Janna knew the irony of this statement, watching her two closest friends battling back the large cluster of elephant-sized spiders. Of course, something was off with that scene. Rips in space with dangerous entities spilling out wasn't an everyday sight.

Except… that _was _almost normal for them. A tear in reality and a new threat following them out, the two would fight and send the danger packing. That part _was_ normal. What wasn't right was her best friend. Her safe kid and favored victim.

Marco had let out a pained gasp as one of the massive chitinous legs slammed into his chest before he quickly clasped his own arms of the guilty appendage. Janna remembered him enjoying the fight before, but this? This was a cold and methodical kind of combat. Where before Marco reveled in showing off his karate, now he…

Janna almost had to look away as the high pitched squeals filled the air. Peering back over through squinted eyes, Marco stood glowering and coated in the monster fluid. Still clasped in his hands was the now detached limb of the gargantuan monster he fought.

This act was enough for the giant to understand. It turned itself around, weight spread out to its seven remaining legs and dove itself into the portal. Star finished hers off in the usual manner, the deluge of Warnicorns pushing her own assailant back into the dimensional rift. Absently dropping the heavy leg to his side, Marco quickly sealed the doorway and finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Man, I really hate spiders," he said in a light-hearted way. The small crowd that had gathered around all thrust their fists in the air and went on to shower praise on Star and Marco. Both were above and beyond the most popular kids with these constant displays.

Janna stayed on the edges, though. All the while watching her safe kid and taking note the way only she could with him. The stiffness to his laughter the hadn't been there a few days ago. The overly airy tones he was giving, and the exaggerated fear he showed when moments before he had gone toe to toe with a beast so effortlessly.

Janna felt her guts twist, and she winced. Whatever was going on she'd really need to get to the bottom of it. That would be later, though. No way she'd make any kind of discovery with the praising crowd and the hyperactive magic princess around. Janna loved Star, but she distracted Marco from having a serious conversation.

For now, Janna made her way forward as the group began to thin. She reached back and smacked Marco on the back, then stepped back two quick paces. Good move, it turned out, as Marco had swung around with that trained look in his eyes.

"Whoa, easy there tiger, just congratulating ya," Janna said, sounding nonchalant.

"Oh gosh, Janna!" Marco said and seemed to steady. Janna noticed him uncurl his fist and attempt to hide it behind his back, "Sorry, I'm just a little stuck in fight mode, I guess."

No duh. "Nah man, it's all cool. You seriously kicked that spider to the curb. And hey," Janna kicked the fallen leg, watching as it still twitched its final few movements, "You got a cool souvenir from it, huh?"

Marco paused as he looked at it, though gave no signs of revulsion as he used to. "Er, yeah. I got a little carried away with that. Speaking of which..." Marco ran his hands along his sweater front, watching as the strange semi-green liquid dripped off of him, "Yuck, I really should head home. This is real gross."

"Home? You know it's only been lunch period, yeah?"

Marco paused, and Janna noticed him take on a blank expression for a moment. Then he softened and sent a grin back her way. "Can't exactly go the whole day covered in monster guts, can I? Eheh…"

Janna looked him up and down, shaking her head. She put a hand on his shoulder and started pushing him towards the edge of the school. "I'll cover for you, just get back before the end of the day. And save me some of this gunk for my collection of gross stuff. You remember that, right?"

"Of course I do, Janna," Marco said, waving her off. He smiled back at her, "I haven't seen that for a while though, how's it coming?"

"Oh you know, still freaky as ever. Now get moving, Diaz, your girlfriend isn't gonna wanna kiss someone that reeks like spider blood."

"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Marco began to run off in the direction of his house, running faster than Janna remembered him going before.

"Janna-banana!" said a voice, high and excited grabbing onto her arm. Twisting around, Janna took in the full sight of Star Butterfly. Unlike their more physically minded friend, Star once again walked away from a battle with nary a scuff mark. "We had such an amazing time in the crystal spider caves! I still don't know why Marco wanted to head there in the middle of the day, but look!"

Star produced a number of floating purple crystals that sat hovering a few inches above her palm. Plucking one out of the air, Star tossed it into her mouth. Janna heard the satisfying crunch before Star slipped them back into her bag.

"Crystal candy!" Star explained, speaking through the shining bits of sugar in her mouth, "The best sugar block in the multiverse! Wanna try one?"

"Ah, thanks, Star. Maybe later, I think we should start heading to class." Janna said, looking at the clock.

"Huh? But where'd Marco go?" Star asked, confused. Janna pointed off in the distance.

"Said he was heading home to change cuz he was covered in spider guts. I thought it was a hot look on him though." Janna said in her typical snarky way. Star simply laughed.

"Oh Marco, always the clean freak, huh?" Star said, "Well then let's get going, Janna! We've gotta get to class before Ms. Skullnick gives us detention again!"

"What, scared of being mayor again?" Janna asked somewhat sardonically.

"I'm serious, Janna! Let's get going!" Star said, tugging on Janna's sleeve. Slipping her arm back out of her jacket, Janna took a few steps back from Star.

"You go on ahead, I've gotta check up on something. Quick as a heart attack, promise," Janna said. Star paused for a moment.

"Creepy, but okay!" Star said smiling, "Well I'll save you a spot!"

With that, Janna watched the Mewman princess scamper off between the school buildings before checking if the coast was clear. No one in sight save for a few distracted folks already in class, perfect.

Janna walked over to one of the fire alarms and took off her hat. Using the simple fabric as a buffer, as the principal had been checking for her fingerprints recently, she tugged on the alarm just as class was about to begin.

Janna absently wandered off the school premises as all the classroom doors flung open, already too lost in thought to pay much mind to the chaos around her. And why was that? Well, because of her gross stuff collection. The one she _didn't have_, despite Marco saying _very clearly_ he remembered it.

That sealed it. Marco was trying to cover up something and was trying too hard to act casual. She'd corner him soon enough and get him to spill what all this junk was.

Janna simply went on a walk down the street, nodding slightly to the sirens of fire trucks rushing towards the school like they were part of her own little theme song.

* * *

"Oh, Janna! We are so happy to see you!"

"Thanks, Mr. Diaz," Janna said in a cool tone, peering past the broad-chested man at the clock. Just past 11:00, perfect.

"Oh, but what are you doing out so late? Is something the matter?" said the older man, concern now filling his tone.

"No no, nothing like that, just needed to talk with Star. We have a project due tomorrow, and we totally procrastinated."

"Oh my, well that's no good. You really should take initiative with these things, Janna! Like Marc-ahem."

Janna picked up on that. "Like Marco what?" she asked interestedly. The older man shuffled back and forth in his pajamas, looking more like the misbehaving child than the misbehaving child did.

"Ah, well you see, Marco has been..." Rafael Diaz paused, trying to form the words while still respecting his son's privacy, "He has been slipping lately. This last week something seems to have happened. You wouldn't know what…"

"Nope, but he's been acting sorta weird now that you mention it," Janna said, playing into Mr. Diaz's concerns.

"Did he and his girlfriend…?"

"No, they're still together," Janna clarified, "Jackie was just telling me about them having a date night this weekend."

"Oh good," Rafael said, sighing in relief, "I was worried it may have been something there. He'd be crushed if they broke up."

"Definitely, Mr. Diaz," Janna said, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder, "But anyways, I've gotta go talk to Star. I'll make it quick, I promise."

"Take your time, Janna, you can stay the night if you need!" The older man began to make his own way back to bed, gesturing towards the stairs, "I'm sure Star wouldn't mind a little sleepover."

Janna nodded and then took off upstairs. Completely ignoring Star's room, Janna walked over to Marco's bedroom door. It was closed, and Janna could hear the light sounds of shuffling just beyond the door. She turned the handle and pushed her way in.

She expected to see Marco tucked into his bed, sleeping away innocently. Or maybe slumped over at his desk, with the room lit up by his laptop screen. Maybe he'd have even been awake, a bad case of insomnia overtaking his senses.

As Janna stood in the doorway, though, she saw Marco curled into a tight ball on the floor, fussily adjusting himself in the midst of his slumber. He still wore his jeans and shoes from the day, though his chest was uncovered. Janna may have also taken note at how his exposed chest had started to lose the minimal flab and was becoming more toned, but that was for later thoughts.

Moving forward and quietly shutting the door behind her, Janna watched the somewhat grotesque display before her. Marco's bed was perfectly made, and nothing else in the room looked the least bit disturbed except for the rugs which had been piled against the wall. Kneeling down beside the twitching boy, Janna shook his shoulder.

"Ah!" Marco's eyes flashed open and his body twisted back into itself. Janna flinched back as he rolled back in a somersault, his eyes angry and his hand reaching for something at his waist. When his hand hit the air, however, Marco looked confused, and then…

"Oh no..." he muttered, the adrenaline settling as he slumped back against the wall.

"I'll say," Janna said, sitting back into a cross-legged position.

"Janna I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Hey hey, ease up Diaz, I was just coming to check on ya," Janna said, letting her bag fall to her side. Marco nodded, he didn't need to ask why she was checking on him.

"Has it really been that obvious?" Marco said, his tone losing that childish edge she so often heard him use. Janna's heart hurt realizing that in that more mature tone was no sign of the force acts from before. This was genuine Marco.

"To me? Yeah man. I'd be able to identify you just by dental records," Janna said, her own voice somewhat thick as she tried herself to act casual, "Of course I was gonna see something."

"Creepy," Marco said with absolutely no sign of being creeped out, "It's really nothing Janna, just been out of my head recently."

"Uh-huh," she said, before gesturing to the floor, "And out of your bed. What the deal man?"

Maybe Janna had expected to hear a bad prank was pulled on Marco in bed, or maybe this was part of a bet with Alfonzo and Ferguson, or maybe he was just overtired. Janna very quickly realized she should stop expecting things.

"My bed's too..." Marco paused, his expression clouded and older somehow before continuing, "...it's too… soft."

Janna never expected it to be something so trivial and silly. She could hear the honesty in his voice, the sincerity in his tone about the bed's apparent plushness. It was something so small and seemingly inconsequential.

It broke her heart realizing how much his mind was troubled. That one little admittance, the single word 'soft,' and suddenly Marco looked like he had been forced to relive something very worrying.

"Marco..." Janna said, swallowing her saliva in the hopes of choking back the lilt in her voice, "U-uhm, what happened? You've been like this for a week."

Sighing, Marco reached his hand behind his back and pulled out some small metallic instrument. At first, Janna thought it was some kind of knife. Then Mark separated the two blades, and she realized it was his pair of scissors.

"Are those…?"

"Dimensional scissors," Marco said, answering the unspoken question.

"But those aren't the same as..."

"Oh come on, Janna. You can't tell me you've caught on to all the rest of my stuff this week and not noticed the scissors."

Janna winced at that, she hadn't expected Marco to be cross-checking her. She sighed. "...yeah, I noticed. I figured Star lost hers or something and you decided to keep hold of the new set."

"Ha, kinda close actually..." Marco said, closing the scissors and placing them on the floor beside him, "I met the forger of all the dimensional scissors. This woman named Hekapoo."

"Pff, that's a dumb name."

"Careful, she might hear you," Marco said, his tone only slightly lightened, "I had to go through some tests to get a new pair of these, and it was some pretty hard work. Fun work, but..."

Janna shifted in her position, moving across the floor some to sit by Marco. "Well that sucks, did you get stuck there overnight?"

Marco actually let out a low chuckle at that. "No, longer than that actually. Time worked really different there."

"Different? Like you were gone for a week but it was only a few minutes?"

"Something like that..."

Janna put her hand on Marco's shoulder, and he looked up to meet her eyes. Janna hadn't really realized how much older his gaze seemed, and concern gripped her guts again.

"Come on, dude, you can tell me. We've been friends forever," Janna said, leaning against Marco. He shifted into the warmth, which they both appreciated. "Nothing's gonna surprise me."

"Doubt that," Marco said in retort.

"Try me," Janna said, pouring as much false confidence into her voice as she could. Marco leaned his head back against the wall, looking Janna in the eyes still. He exhaled, and Janna could smell the faintest bit of orange on his breath.

"Janna, I was gone for 16 years."

Suddenly, there was no floor to Janna. Her heart and stomach had both dropped and settled somewhere deep in the underworld. She had expected the worst, but she hadn't expected _that_.

"Whoa..." was all she could muster, the gravity of the situation hitting her as she leaned against him more.

"Yeah," Marco said, and Janna almost gasped as his hand found its way into her hair. He lightly played with strands as he stared at the ceiling. "I lived over half my life in some other world. I hadn't seen any of you for years! And then, suddenly..."

"You were back where you started?" Janna asked.

Marco gulped, "Yeah..." He fidgeted still, moving his hand to wrap around her, and Janna could tell he must've been starved for some kind of contact. She pulled away, sliding her hand around his exposed midsection and tugging him into a hug. Marco settled gratefully against her chest.

"Thanks," he said simply, his eyes beginning to close.

"No prob, man. I got dibs on your corpse, but I don't need it this soon," Janna said and felt her chest flutter as he actually laughed.

"I really did miss you for all those years. I was worried we'd never get to hang out again," Marco said, and Janna swore she heard him sniffle. "It's been a really, really long time."

It had only been a few days from her perspective, but Janna knew the weight of this. So she stayed quiet, sitting there on the floor with Marco's head resting against her chest. She was preparing herself to start digging, to start the tougher questions knowing he likely wouldn't want to talk about them. She wanted to know all the things that happened in the years he was gone.

Then Janna felt Marco shift, and she saw him reach up to his desk again. His hands curled around some small jar, though its contents were a mystery to her. As he handed it to her, she was getting ready to ask what it was when he answered her without being asked.

"I tried to get as much of that Megarantula's blood in there as I could," Marco said simply, leaning against Janna's side again. Janna's voice hitched in her throat, and she was glad the room was dark as her eyes grew misty. "It really has been a long time since I've seen your collection. I actually don't really remember much of it at all, sorry."

Cradling the small jar, Janna let herself lean back against Marco and getting both of them comfortable. "Th-thanks Marco. That's really cool."

Marco nodded dazedly, his head lolling against Janna's shoulder. "I...I'm happy you're here Janna. I..." Marco let out a big yawn, his eyes finally shutting as he finished, "...missed you..."

Janna stared at the gross jar of arachnid fluid and placed it to her side. With a quivering lip, she smiled and wiped her eyes, letting herself fall into slumber as well. "I missed you too, Marco. I really missed you too..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright! How could I not do a chapter two with all the amazing support being thrown my way?! Seriously, you guys have been amazing, so many great reviews and so many follows and faves all at once!**

**Admittedly, I'm not _quite_ as happy with this chapter as the previous, but I didn't wanna go through tons and tons of postponing and rewrites this early either. I'd rather get few first few chapters in to try and develop as I go. Hope people still enjoy this one and please leave a review! (And hey, I'm thinking of doing a one-shot request or two in the future if anyone wants to shoot me a PM!)**

* * *

Janna wished she had slept through the night. She wished it ended up as some cliched time of tight embraces with the boy she liked, waking up to Marco's appreciative smile and grateful words at spending the night with him. Like a romantic comedy, the two of them unlikely leads that ended up in those unlikely scenarios and drawing them closer together.

But this was real life. Janna had woken up several times in the night, but her glances to Marco were filled not with adoration or excitement. Every look sent his way was one of worry. She felt his nails dig into her side, felt his strong embrace tighten just beyond the point of comfort, heard the ragged breathing and saw the cold sweat that pushed through his sleeping features.

You didn't need to be a genius to see what was happening. Marco was having some very bad dreams.

The first wave that woke Janna made her freeze, being pulled tighter against the shirtless boy and making her chest feel light and airy once again. But as she went from wide-eyed enjoyment, to curious glance, and finally to pained concern, she realized how out of her depth she was.

She awkwardly placed her arms back around the boy, running her fingers through his hair and down his spine. He would settle, for a time, but the episodes returned soon after. And Janna let herself fall into this simple routine of physical contact and lightly shushing his terrors away, thankful as the night went on that they grew less frequent.

It was around four in the morning that Janna had to shift her position. Her eyes were tired and stinging, and she was only conscious thanks to the searing pain in her lower back. The spot they had settled into was comfortable for Marco but left her oddly angled and straining her posture. She had stayed like that for the majority of the night, and why? Because her friend needed her help.

Janna almost gave a hollow laugh. Not just a friend, but Marco. Her safe kid. She always pushed his buttons and made him uncomfortable, it always tickled her silly seeing him stress and fume. So a few hours of discomfort for his sake? She owed him that much, at least.

Trying to move as microscopically as possible, Janna shifted her weight back against the wall. Slowly shimmying her rear end back, she tried to press herself closer to the drywall without shifting Marco's head. She was experienced enough at sneaking that it should have been simple.

However… that was usually on a full night's rest. And that was with old Marco. This wasn't old Marco, this was… old_er_ Marco. The moment she shuffled a centimeter, his eyes began to flutter, and Janna's breath hitched. She held herself still, willing herself not to make any more noise, reaching her unoccupied arm to the floor to stabilize herself.

That was when she remembered the sealed jar of monster blood next to her. The one her sleep-deprived mind had forgotten about up until she smacked it. The glass container clattered and fell onto its side, rolling lazily along the floor with the noise sounding amplified.

"Huh!" came Marco's voice, pushing himself awake and darting his eyes around. Seeing nothing in the dark, Marco exhaled his stored breath and Janna took the opportunity to do the same. That was when Marco finally looked back at her.

"Oh. Uh, h-hey Janna…" Marco finally said, almost hiding the redness in his cheeks.

"H-hey, Marco…" Janna replied, and she felt her voice catch as she let out a large yawn. Great, stink him out with morning breath, "Ah geez… Well, welcome to the waking world, dude."

"Yeah, thanks..." Marco said, sitting himself up. With a moment to process the situation, Marco finally seemed to catch onto the context of their position. "Oh no, Janna did you really sleep on the floor cuz of me?"

With one eyebrow raised, Janna couldn't help but tease the boy. "What can I say? Not every day someone gets to sleep with Marco Diaz."

Marco simply shook his head, and Janna was a little disappointed at the lack of reaction. "Well, seriously Janna. Thank you."

Janna shook her head, "It's no big thing, man. I'm glad I could help. Besides, we haven't had a sleepover in years."

"You're telling me," Marco said. And yeah, she really _was_ one to be telling him after supposed years apart. Janna debated her next action but decided to go for it.

"So, hey..." she began, "did you wa-..." Janna was cut off once again by her own body, her lungs interrupting her and prompting another yawn. Marco certainly noticed, and as her eyes were closed from the yawn Janna felt Marco's hands slide behind her back and under her knees.

"Whoa whoa, hey!" Janna exclaimed, feeling herself leave the ground. She knew she was fairly light, but this was still rather unexpected. Hanging from between Marco's arms, she felt comfortable in the embrace, lingering in its warmth. Janna glanced up and smirked.

"Couldn't give a girl…" Another yawn interrupted her as she spoke, "...some warning?"

"A girl? Yes," Marco replied, and she swore she saw a grin through the dark, "You? Nah."

Marco took the few steps from the wall to his bedside and plopped Janna down, a little more abruptly than she'd have liked if she was honest. The cushion of the bed worked wonders on Janna's sore back, and her sleep-addled mind unconsciously forced her towards sleep. Still, she kept her eyes on Marco.

"Dude..." She said, her voice already growing heavier, "It's still...super early…"

Marco nodded, "Yeah, I'm used to it. I gotta get going for my jog anyway."

"Jog…?" Janna asked dazedly.

"Yeah, it's almost sun up. I gotta get my exercise in."

"Laaaaame..." Janna said, her form subconsciously curling up into a comfortable spot on her side. Marco shook his head, pulling a simple shirt on over his exposed chest.

"Get some more sleep, you look exhausted."

"Shuuuuddup..." Janna slurred, and that was the final thing she remembered as the dark reclaimed her senses.

* * *

Janna's eyes blinked open, and she cursed into the air. Of course, she fell asleep. What's worse, she could tell by the heat of the day, the shadows in the room, and most helpful of all the clock on her phone that it was well past noon. Why the heck hadn't Marco woken her up?

"Come on, Diaz, even I only get so many days to play hooky," Janna said to herself, sitting up in bed. The scent of Marco's sheets clung to her, but it actually didn't remind her of Marco. It smelled like fragrant detergent and clean linen. Janna actually sighed once she realized that. Marco really hadn't slept in his bed for a while.

Turning her head to the side, Janna noticed a small assortment of items on Marco's desk. There next to his powered-down computer was a bottle of water and an apple, and her jar of giant spider guts with a sticky note attached. Heaving herself away from the comfortable bed, Janna snatched up the apple and tore off the sticky note.

_Janna, told my parents you weren't feeling great. They called your folks and said you could rest here. We'll talk after school._

It was obviously Marco's handwriting, which Janna actually found amusing. "16 whole years, and you're still writing the exact same. And you wonder how I've got so much dirt on you."

Janna tucked the note away in her jacket pocket, biting into the apple and sitting back on the bed. She wasn't sure what Marco had in mind to talk about. Obviously about his time… Janna struggled to find the right word to describe it. His time away? Was that too simple for such a long excursion?

She almost smacked her own head. Don't start walking on eggshells, Janna. It's still Marco you're talking about.

She continued eating the apple, listening to the light tapping of the laser puppies on the first floor. There was definitely some things Janna _wanted_ to talk about. His adventures, his new training, his nightmares…

But at the same time, there was something that they _needed_ to talk about as well. And that was Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Janna liked Marco, that much was obvious. She constantly messed with him, she flirted and pushed into his personal space and very often collected his things to push interaction. She wasn't sure if Marco didn't ever confront her about it because he simply wasn't interested, or because he was honestly that clueless. Honestly, the latter was the more likely option.

But at the same time, she was friends with Jackie. She was proud of Marco for finally getting with the girl of his dreams, and she held no resentment towards Jackie. Heck, she was happy she finally caught on to what she had known for the longest time. And this whole mess, with Marco having spent over a decade away and all the troubles he's trying to face on his own?

Yeah, Janna got the really distinct feeling that Jackie had yet to learn about any of that. And it wasn't fair to keep that stuff hidden away from her. Not fair to Jackie, and not fair to Marco either.

But that would be for later. For now, Janna was going to unwind with one of her favorite pastimes.

Janna stood tall and placed the apple core to her side. Stretching her arms to the ceiling and feeling the satisfying pop to her back, she settled herself back down and stared around the room.

"Alright, mister adventurer. Let's see what new things you've got lying around."

* * *

"Hey, Marco!"

Halting himself mid-step onto the bus, Marco turned himself to look back at the figure approaching. He felt his pulse quicken and the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

There she was, Jackie Lynn Thomas. Currently, her blonde and teal hair tucked away beneath her helmet, gliding between the school buildings on her skateboard, the light of the midday sun making her seem radiant. She was beautiful.

16 years and he still got this way over Jackie. Wow, even he didn't know whether that was romantic or depressing. Maybe both?

"O-oh, Jackie!" Marco said, stepping off to the side and letting the rest of the bus on. The young girl hopped off of her board, kicking the rear and snatching it up in one fluid motion.

"What's up, man? I haven't heard from you in a few days."

Marco gulped, scratching the back of his head. Come on, he had faced down colossal beasts and outstripped battalions of enemies before. He was gonna get tongue tied with Jackie again?

"Uhm, y-yeah, well..." Marco breathed in deep to steady his thoughts, "...sigh, sorry Jackie. It's been a weird few… days. And not like normal _Star_ weird. Like, really actually weird."

Jackie raised her eyebrow at that. "Really? Harsh..." Marco's eyes widened as Jackie reached out to grab his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Looking up into her eyes, she gave that same comforting smile that he remembered from all those years… no, days. From all those days ago.

"What's been so weird?" She asked, pulling him further aside. He was looking uncomfortable, and Jackie really didn't think a crowd was going to help him ease up. "I'm all ears, dude."

"Nah," Marco said, shaking his head, "I don't wanna be any sort of bother, Jackie. I'll be fine."

Jackie looked unconvinced. "Come on, man, you aren't gonna be any sort of bother or whatever. I'm your girlfriend, I wanna be here for you."

Marco's knees felt weak at that, and he could have punched himself. "Right, you're my g-... girlfriend. Right, yeah."

Jackie's eyes glided over his face, and he knew she was taking him in. Was this like Janna? Was Jackie able to pick up on the weird bits and pieces? No, Janna only did because of her weird stalker-like interests. He could totally hide it.

"Man, whatever happened must've been really bad."

Darn it.

"What makes you say that?" Marco asked, pushing himself to sound casual. Jackie unclasped his hand and then cupped it against his cheek.

"Come on, Diaz," Jackie said, her tone full of calm and collected caring, "You've got some serious bags under your eyes, and we've barely talked for like a week. Something's obviously up."

Marco sighed, casting his gaze to the floor. "...yeah. Yeah, something's up. Sort of a weird adventure I went on, and..." Marco halted as he felt a digit press against his lips. Looking up, Marco still saw that caring smile. If not for his heightened maturity, he'd say he got lost in Jackie's blue-green eyes.

Alright, so maybe he _did_ get lost in them. But hey, cut him some slack, he was trying to be realistic about this.

"It's alright, dude. I can tell whatever this is, it's pretty big," she said, "I don't gotta hear it all now, just be upfront with me when you can be, okay?"

Marco gulped, savoring the brief feeling of electricity shooting through his lips. He let his features relax into a smile, and he placed one of his hands over Jackie's. "Okay. I promise I'll tell you about it. Thanks."

"Definitely," she said, taking her hand back, "We're still on for this weekend, yeah?"

Marco's eyes widened. He had no idea, this must've been some plan from before he left. He tensed himself up before replying, "O-of course! Yeah, totally, can't wait!"

Jackie nodded, "Cool. Now, need a lift?"

Marco gave a quizzical expression, before hearing the hiss of the bus pulling away. Looking back the door had closed and everyone getting on had left him there. He would have groaned, annoyed at his luck and for no longer having his dragoncycle to ride on. Then he noticed Jackie pull out a spare helmet.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," She said, handing the helmet over to him. "You remember how to do this?"

"Uh, sure I do," Marco said. Dang it, how many little things had he lost? It was all starting to pile up. Jackie rolled her eyes, dropping her board to the floor and grabbing Marco by the arm.

"Hey, I've got you, Marco. No need to be freaked out." She stepped up onto the board and pulled him along. Marco stood shakily until he felt Jackie guide his hand to her waist. "Just hold on tight, you'll be home in no time."

Marco, looking at the time, looking at the weather, and most importantly looking at himself and realizing the knot in his stomach was seeming to ease, let himself relax into the kind gesture. "Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah, Marco?" She asked, peering back at him.

"Mind if we take a long way home? I think it'd be nice to just… hang for a bit, yeah?"

Jackie gave the smallest of joyful smiles and leaned back to kiss his cheek. "Definitely, dude. Definitely."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all again! Hope people are enjoying still, I'm having such a time writing this and am hoping that people will keep leaving reviews or sending me messages, they're real encouraging! Admittedly updates were a little slower than I would've liked, that what I get for dislocating a finger though huh? I also wanna be clear, this is not meant to antagonize Star, I'm simply exploring certain emotions and feelings that I felt could have been explored in the show.**

**Please leave a review, and have a good read!**

* * *

Star Butterfly felt… uncomfortable. She felt like her insides were foggy and distant, spread much too thin and leaving her emotions in nebulous. Pulling herself up by the seat before her, she let her eyes scan the heads within the school bus, attempting to find the familiar brown hair or red hoodie. Why was she having such bad feelings?

Marco wasn't on the bus.

Star pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to shake the feelings away through physical motion. Where was he? Marco had almost always been one of the first people on the bus. She sighed, remembering those moments of stepping into the large yellow shell, waving at friends while Marco cleared the saved seat next to him. A comfortable and kind routine.

Oh, who was she kidding? Marco hadn't done that for over a week. Star had almost always beaten him to their ride back home in that time, with Marco barely making it on in the last moments before the vehicle pulled away. Even then, this time he was really cutting it close. Star could see the driver checking his watch and inch his hand close to the door control.

Come on, Marco, you'll be left behind!

Sighing and flopping onto her back, Star wondered what had changed so drastically. Marco seemed like he was okay, still fighting and still hanging out with her. She'd noticed him eating more meat and going out on exercises, but she assumed he was just trying to get his hot bod back.

Recalling that image, Star felt her cheeks flush with color. She wouldn't complain if he got _that_ back.

Still, it seemed like something had shifted in him. Like something was just… _off._ She had briefly thought it might've been the trials for the scissors, but Marco had been successful! He had won, so much so that even Hekapoo had seemed impressed! Not only that, but he had accomplished it all in no more than _eight minutes_.

No, it couldn't have been that. Marco hadn't lost anything, and he had seemed so happy after the trials and the adventures. It must've been just like all their other quests together, just a bit longer. It couldn't have been that…

Could it?

Star's eyes flashed open as she heard the hiss of hydraulics. Shooting a glance to the front of the bus, she saw the door was closed. They were leaving?!

"Marco…!" Star said, readying herself and her wand. She couldn't let this leave without him. A nice little distraction should buy him enough time, right?

That's when Star saw him. Saw… them. Just as the faintest of pink aurae began and fizzled around her wand, Star had seen the two figures outside the bus that made her intentions moot.

Marco stood before Jackie Lynn Thomas just outside the bus. From where she sat, she could tell Marco was jittery and nervous. Not unexpected, he was always like that around Jackie after all. So why in the worlds did it make her chest _hurt?_

Star settled herself back into the seat, watching the pair in the corners of her vision as the bus left the school. This was stupid, whatever this feeling was. So stupid! Marco was speaking with his girlfriend, the girl that she had encouraged and helped him to be with! What the heck was going on that now she suddenly cared so much?!

As they finally left the area immediately linked to the school, Star reached into her purse and took out her compact. Clicking it open, she found a familiar face staring back at her. Tapping various portions on her sullen face, she took into account her features.

Her blonde hair was wild as it always was, which she thought fit her style pretty well. She had forgone any makeup, it would end up running if she worked up a sweat, which was easy with her lifestyle. Fingertips tracing over her hearts and under her eyes, Star wondered…

Wait, what was that?

Sitting up straighter, Star placed her thumb and forefinger on the lids of her right eye, pushing them farther apart. Seeing the slightly bloodshot edges, she released the lids and blinked furiously, quickly staring back into the reflective surface.

Just her normal eyes, simple black pupil surrounded by sky blue rings. Maybe it was a trick of the light, then? But she could have _sworn_ that patch of blue was gone a moment ago…

Star had barely realized the bus had stopped until she heard a yell from the front of the bus.

"Hey! Magic girl, Diaz, your stop!" came the yell of the bus driver.

"Um, Marco isn't on the bus!" Star said loudly back, dashing up through the aisle of seats. The driver merely gave a grunt of acknowledgment, and Star felt the door to the bus brush her hair as it closed, mere millimeters away from catching her locks.

Star gave a small glare back at the bus as it pulled away. "Was he always that rude?" she wondered aloud to herself.

"Totally," came a voice from right in front of Star, who jumped and tugged her wand up into a combat position. "Whoa whoa, easy princess! Just stretching my legs!"

Star finally let herself focus on the source of the noise, and finally took in Janna's face. Letting the whirling mote of magic disperse, the young mewman dropped her stance and looked quizzically to her chaotic friend.

"Janna? What're you doing here?" Star asked.

"Eh, I spent the day here, keeping up the usual business," Janna said casually, both her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket, lightly fidgeting.

"Uh-huuuuh…" Star said tentatively, "And if you would be so kind, what is the usual business for you at Marco's?"

"Weaseling through his stuff and leaving creepy crawlies in his sock drawer," Janna replied. Star looked aghast, gaining new levels of fear for her friend.

"You're, um, kidding? Right?" Star asked, almost hopeful.

"Yeah," Janna said, making her way past Star and down the sidewalk. Janna stopped after a few paces, though, and stared back at the princess, "Or, y'know. Probably."

Star felt a chill run up her spine. "Well hey!" She exclaimed, trying to push the nerves down, "Where are you off to now then? Marco's not home and I'd be down with girl's night!"

Janna thought about it, then grinned back at Star. "Yeah, that sounds cool. Tonight, though. I'm gonna go mess with Diaz a bit."

"Huh? But he's with Jackie, where would you…?" Star was answered as Janna showed the screen to her smartphone. Flashing across the surface was a simplified image of Marco's face on a map. Star tensed slightly at her resourcefulness. "When did you…?"

"Ah, I've always got a tracer on him," Janna said, shrugging and tucking her phone away once more, "It pays to keep tabs on my safe kid."

Star felt a mix of emotions. First, she felt the return of that slight fear. Janna had never done any of this sort of thing to her, but seeing the lengths she went for Marco was somewhat… disconcerting. There was then the part of her that wondered if she could also get access to that tracking device, maybe then she'd make sure Marco was on time for the bus.

But then that darker feeling that seemed to bleed into her brain from the top of her skull took over, and Star felt angry. No, not angry… jealous. A quick wave of protectiveness and irritation washed through her, and Star could tell it came at the moment Janna had said _her_ safe kid.

Shaking her head violently, Star felt those feelings thankfully lessen. What was with her head these last few days?

"Uh, hey!" Star exclaimed, rushing down the street as Janna had kept walking, "Mind if I join you?"

Janna shrugged her shoulders high, "Sure, be my guest."

The two fell into a steady walk beside each other, the silence broken up by small bits of small talk and brief acts of magic as they made their way downtown.

* * *

"Yeah, Diaz! You're doing great!" Jackie shouted encouragingly. Standing to the side of the park walkway, Jackie Lynn Thomas watched as her boyfriend glided seamlessly down, lightly weaving along the path with a surprising amount of grace.

"Yeah! I'm doing it!" Marco said, actually excited. It was silly, he thought, that he would be so elated that he was able to stand upright on a board with wheels attached. So many legs of his adventure where he had tamed wild beasts, hijacked interdimensional crafts and even raised his own dragoncycle, and look where he was now.

Although admittedly, this was still pretty hard. Marco had only mastered his balance as the board moved, as for stopping…

"Easy, Marco! Remember to put your weight back on..."

"Whoa whoa no!" Marco yelled, hopping off the fast-moving board and tangling his feet once he hit solid ground. Marco face planted into the grass, rolling end over end and finally settling on his back. Jackie gasped and rushed over.

"Oh geez, Marco! You seriously ate it, man, are you al-...?" Jackie's words caught in her throat as she saw Marco laying sprawled out on his back, laughing up at the blue sky.

"Oh man, that was great!" Marco exclaimed, unhooking the helmet from his head and shaking his hair out. Jackie couldn't help but giggle, and Marco suddenly felt self-conscious. "What happened? I didn't roll in dog doo, did I?!"

Jackie's delight only rose as she saw Marco frantically check his back and sides, looking for an accompanying smear. "No, dude! I just never saw you get so happy about wiping out!"

Marco realized his exuberance and blushed, trying to hide his face somewhat until Jackie offered him her hand. Taking it gratefully, Jackie tugged him back to his feet before moving over to recover her forgotten board.

Scratching the back of his head, Marco chuckled. "I, uh, guess it's just been a while since I rode. It was kinda nice to have that again."

From the look Jackie gave him, Marco realized he must've said something odd. "A while?" Jackie asked, "Marco, you and I rode on the night of the dance just the other week."

"Oh," Marco said, cursing himself inside his head. He had remembered the dance, but it had been such a long time still. He really needed to be on top of the details around here. "R-right, yeah. Guess not that long then, huh…?"

Jackie looked him up and down and shook her head. She could tell this was the same thing as earlier, and she wasn't going to pry. With her board tucked under her arm, Jackie once again offered her hand to Marco, which he gladly accepted.

The two began making their way out of the park, walking in comfortable silence with each other. Marco felt much more like he was doing something right, finally. Whatever Janna had done helped his sleeping tremendously, and actually spending time with Jackie reminded him better of time before. This was much better than…

Marco almost gulped as he came to finish that train of thought. This was much better than the adventures with Star. He did appreciate Star, and he could tell she was still trying to help him have adventures as he had in the Neverzone. The only problem?

All of them felt like _distractions_. Like Star realized there was a hole in the wall and was trying to slap a poster over the damage. He realized she meant well, but these small quiet moments with Janna and Jackie? They actually felt like they were helping him settle back into his day-to-day.

Marco gave Jackie's hand two quick squeezes, and she looked over at him. "Something up, dude?"

Marco smiled, still dealing with some moths in his stomach. "Nah, I'm just..." He paused, taking the corner and walking along the small shopping areas. "Just… thanks."

Jackie raised her eyebrow. "Well, you're welcome," she said, "But what for?"

"For being here, with me. I guess I sorta got distracted by a lot of stuff for a while…" Marco said, lacing his fingers more tightly with Jackie's, "You know, in the past… week. And I'm just happy to be hanging out with you again."

Marco felt his cheeks glow, but was happy to see Jackie's own expression light up in the way he still remembered. The light dusting of pink across her face, still unabashedly looking at him with those sparkling eyes. Marco was just about to thank her again, tell her that they could start heading back…

And then he felt her close the distance, feeling the soft grazing of her lips as he leaned in as well. Feeling himself fall back into all those memories of their past, of the wasted mornings nodding to her or the way he always flubbed his words when trying to speak at all, Marco still couldn't believe that he was here with the girl he cared so much for.

As they pulled back, both looked into the other's eyes and just stood in the quiet, surrounded by no one except the occasional passing car. Jackie laced her fingers back through Marco's, still looking him in the eyes.

"Hey, Marco?" She asked.

"Yeah, Jackie?" Marco said, voice still airy.

"What am I thinking?" Jackie asked, and Marco's tranquil expression turned to one of confusion.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"What am I thinking?" She said again, "Think about how long we've known each other. Come on, dude, you can totally read me. What am I thinking?"

Marco thought this was a little ridiculous, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. Then again, he had done it a fair bit with Star, so it shouldn't be so big of an ask, right?

"Okay," Marco finally said, eyes now studying her expression. The intense look, one that Marco could never say he'd seen before, shone in her eyes as she stared straight into his. Chewing on his lower lips, Marco felt himself leaning back into the tactical mind he had relied on for so long.

Her eyes were intense, but her expression was still friendly. She didn't have any cuts or bruises as she wasn't the one who wiped out, and her board was tucked securely and tightly under her arm. Marco could have hit himself, he was so used to tuning in to combat cues, he had no plan for this.

Then, just faintly in front of him, he heard it. Marco grinned.

"You're hungry," he said, hearing the tiniest rumble from her midsection. Jackie smiled at that.

"Yeah, man!" She exclaimed, tugging at his hand, "Dude, you rock! We'll be sending brain messages in no time."

Marco laughed as he ran alongside Jackie, disbelieving at the sheer silliness she was capable of displaying. Marco kept pace, nearly tripping over himself as Jackie threw her board down and tugged him onto it.

"Let's go, Diaz! No time to waste!"

* * *

Janna watched the small sticker of Marco moving slightly faster on the screen before her, leaving the park area.

"Hey, Janna?" Star asked, trying to get the girl's attention.

"Yeah, Star?" Janna replied.

"Did you spend the night at Marco's house?"

Janna paused, thinking about her answer. "Yeah, I bunked with Marco last night," she said, not noticing how Star tensed at that phrasing.

"W-why did you do that?" Star asked, trying her best to sound conversational.

Janna gave a noncommittal noise before elaborating, "Marco seemed kinda off recently. I wanted to check up on my safe kid."

"Uh, and why do you call him _your_ safe kid now?"

Janna had to think about that one, but still pressed forward with her answer, "We've known each other for years, and if it weren't for you and me he'd probably still be stuck with Ferguson and Alfonzo."

Star nodded, mostly accepting of that answer. Still… "Um, Janna? Just wondering, but… do you have a… crush… on Marco?"

Janna didn't even pause as she said, "Yup."

Star sputtered, "Bu-but you said during the sleepover…!"

Janna nodded before she could finish, "Yeah, and just cuz I like Marco like that doesn't mean I don't like Keats," she said, once again stuffing her hands in her pockets, "You can feel like that about more than one person, Star."

"But Marco's with Jackie!" Star shot out, both for Janna and for herself. Janna seemed thoughtful for a split second, before nodding again.

"Yeah, and I'm super happy for them," Janna said casually. Star looked at her with disbelief.

"How can you…?" Star began, tone sounding confused and curious.

Her back still turned, Janna checked the placement of her tracer before answering, "Jackie's my friend, Star. Just like Marco. I don't really see it as some huge problem that my friends are happy together." Plus, she already jokingly told Marco to call her after the breakup. Though from recent events, Janna might look into a quicker and more… open opportunity.

All the while Star stayed back a few paces, returning to her silent moments. Rubbing her arm with a free hand, Star couldn't help but feel guilty. Trying to shift some of this uneasiness onto Janna, it was all cast back at her with barely any of the weight taken off.

This frustrated Star. She wanted to be happy for her friends, happy for her _best_ friend. Happy that he was with the girl he liked and had such a supportive friend like Janna. She wanted to experience this without all the feeling of bleeding in and overtaking her senses.

So why couldn't she? What was she doing _wrong?_

Star sighed, falling back into step with Jackie and feeling strangely downtrodden. Hopefully getting to talk with them would help settle her head.


End file.
